Independence Day Parade: Beauty queens on floats, toddlers on strollers, and a swinging Teddy Boy Locsin
Ambassador Teddy Boy Locsin, wife Louie Locsin, and the Philippine Mission staff dance their way to the grandstand. Photos by Boyet Loverita
It seemed everyone who is Filipino American was on Madison Avenue on June 4 for the Philippine Independence Day Parade.
The nurses, the teachers, the beauty queens, the singers, the Masons, frat men, comedians, babies on strollers, the Ivatans, the photographers, the Duterte diehards, FilAms who love Marawi, government executives, the badminton club – almost everyone!
It was a cloudy day as thousands of FilAms assembled in Manhattan for the 119th Philippine Independence Day celebration. Madison Avenue was closed to traffic from 39th Street down to 23rd Street.
The parade started promptly at 12 noon with Consul General Theresa Dizon De Vega leading the ribbon cutting ceremony. She was assisted by Ambassador to the United Nations Teodoro “Teddy Boy” Locsin Jr., Grand Marshalls Dr. Rod Castillo and wife Dr. Elma Castillo, Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI) President Prospero Lim, President and CEO of New York Power Authority Gil Quiniones, and Federal Judge Lorna Schofield.
This parade is a first for many.
Federal Judge Lorna Schofield and New York Power Authority CEO Gil Quiniones march with their families
This is Congen De Vega’s first as Consul General in New York. Definitely the first for Locsin since becoming the Philippine representative to the UN.
Rodrigo Pangesban, looking resplendent in his cream-colored barong tagalog, was a first-time volunteer.
“I was encouraged to volunteer by my partner,” he said. “I thought it would be a small crowd but I am very overwhelmed. I’m starstruck by Martin Nievera. I wasn’t able to see him in the Philippines but here I was able to shake his hand!”
Sighted for the first time was a float from the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) with Potri Ranka Manis riding on it. NYSNA was invited by PIDCI Secretary and Board Member Joy Aligarbes to join the celebration, considering the large number of Filipino Registered Nurses (RN) that are NYSNA members.
Another first-time participant was the Kids Philippines, Inc. (KPI) organization founded by Cherry Marmes Smith in October 2016. Seen on a bright yellow Mustang convertible was Immigration Attorney Nick Caraquel also a first-time parade-goer.
Patriotic and diaper duties go hand in hand
Commissioner Gil Quiniones, representing New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, presented a proclamation hailing Filipinos on their Independence Day. De Vega then read a proclamation from the office of the New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio which ended with “Maligayang araw ng kalayaan.”
Connecticut resident Rose Adams was elated over her first NYC Independence parade. “I’m very very happy, my God! Nong umalis ako, natutulog pa yong asawa ko. First time kong mag train and it took us four hours to get here.”
Midway through the parade the rain started, but it didn’t dampen the spirit and excitement of the crowd. The highly anticipated appearance of 2015 Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach, 2013 Miss World Megan Young, and reigning Miss International 2016 Kylie Verzosa was one wow moment. But nothing compared with the pop dance by Teddy Boy Locsin – his version of Gangnam? — as he and his wife Louie Locsin led the Philippine Mission dancing their way to the grandstand.
First-time volunteer Cecilia Quirino, granddaughter of the late President Elpidio Quirino, said, “This is a wonderful thing for Filipinos, for us in New York, to bring us all together. My grandfather is smiling down upon us.”
Copyright © 2017 The FilAm
The NYPD blues
A selfie with pop singer Martin Nievera
Consul General Tess Dizon De Vega (5th from right) with Philippine government and local officials, parade organizers, and community leaders frontline the parade.
